England’s first two matches at the World Twenty20 have been dominated by bat over ball, but Moeen Ali’s bowling performances have offered real encouragement as the side swap Mumbai for Delhi.
England arrived in the Indian capital on Saturday night and will play their remaining Super 10 games, against Afghanistan on Wednesday and Sri Lanka three days later, at the Kotla.
Ali is the only Englishman to bowl his full quota in both games, tops the wicket-taking chart with three scalps and has the cheapest economy rate at nine runs per over.
On a Delhi pitch that England expect to be more receptive to turn, his partnership with Adil Rashid could yet become even more important.
All this and Moeen still readily admits he took some convincing to see himself as a spinner, first and foremost.
“I always felt if I was going to break into the England team it would be as a batsman,” he admitted. “That hasn’t worked out much and thankfully the bowling is what has kept me in the team.”
